The MINDMAP cohorts are located in different cities in both Europe and North America, which makes for a great amount of variation between data. This will allow the MINDMAP researchers to draw stronger conclusions on how different environments relate to health outcomes. Area-level information on physical environment characteristics (e.g. green spaces, transportation), socioeconomic and sociodemographic characteristics (e.g. neighbourhood income, residential segregation, residential density), and social environment characteristics (e.g. social cohesion, criminality) and national and urban social policies is derived from publically available sources such as geoportals and administrative databases. The linkage, harmonization, and analysis of data from different sources are being carried out using piloted tools to optimize the validity of the research results and transparency of the methodology.

The MINDMAP cohorts and their geographical locations

The MINDMAP research combines population-based cohort data with publicly available datasets not typically used for ageing and mental well-being research. Integration of various data sources and observational units into a single platform will help to explain the differences in ageing-related mental and cognitive disorders both within as well as between cities in Europe, the US, Canada, and Russia and to assess the causal pathways and interactions between the urban environment and the individual determinants of mental well-being and cognitive ageing in older adults.

Integration of various data sources and observational units into a single platform will facilitate multilevel analyses exploring the influence of individual-and area-level determinants of mental well-being. In the end, this infrastructure will help to explain the differences in ageing-related mental and cognitive disorders both within as well as between cities around the world and assess the causal pathways and interactions between the urban environment and the individual determinants of mental well-being and cognitive ageing in older adults – Beenackers & Doiron et al. 2018